Thread-brake.



PATENTBD APR. 18, 1905. BfA. BATES.

THREAD BRAKE. APPLICATION FILED JAN.18, 1905.

Patented April 1e, 1905.

PATENT OEEICE.

HENRY A. BATES, OF MIDDLETOWN, CONNECTICUT.

THREAD-BRAKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 787,717, dated April 18, 1905. Application filed January 18, 1905. Serial No. 241,554.

A To (M whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY A. BATES, acitizen of the United States, residing at Middletown, in the county of Middlesex and State of Connecticut, have invented an Improvement in Thread-Brakes, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to devices for controlling the paying-off movement of thread from a spool or cop to the machine, where the thread is utilized in sewing in the arts; and the object of my invention is to prevent vthe sagging of the thread and consequent displacement thereby and to produce a gentle regulatable friction of the parts and tension on the thread,`preventing a too free movement of the parts as the thread is unwound.

In connection with a spool or cop and the support therefor I employ a standard supported by the spool or cop having an axial member and a wire helix closely but freely surrounding the axial member and revoluble thereon, and the free ends of which helix are extended as arms with eye terminations, through which the thread is led from the spool or cop, and I employ means for hold-V ing the helix and its arms in positionon the axial member and at the same time for applying a gentle and regulatable` friction to \the helix. This means, I prefer, shall consist of a disk perforated to pass over and be movable longitudinally of the axial member, the disk being provided with a set-screw to secure the same to the axial member. I also prefer to place the arms of said helix normally offset from one another or out of the same vertical plane and to make use of features hereinafter more particularly set forth.

In the drawings, Figure l is Yan elevation representing a spool or cop and the devices of my invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a plan of the parts comprising my invention as separated from the spool or cop, and Fig. 3 is an elevation of the wire helix and its arms as separated from the axial member.

a represents the spool or cop, which may be of any desired or well-known form, and a the thread thereof.

b represents a base or support for the spool c, a hub c' to pass into the opening of the spool or oop and to be centered thereby, and an axial member d, which parts are. preferably integral.

e represents a disk and hub perforated to pass over the axial member d and to be movable longitudinally thereof when released by a set-screw e', placed through the hub por.

tion, securing the disk and hub to the axial member.

A Wire helix f of predetermined length is adapted to pass over the axial member upon the removal of the disk and hub e, which parts are thereafter placed on the axial member so as to come against the wire helix. The free ends of the wire helix are extended as arms, the arm f from the lower end being bent at a right angle and at its lower end provided with an eye 2, while the arm f2 from the upper end of the helix is a straight prolongation, terminating in an eye 3. The bend of the arm f is beyond the periphery of the spool or cop, and the free end of the arm that is at right angles to the portion adjacent to the vhelix extends appreciably down the spool or cop toward the center thereof in an eort to guide the drawing-off thread from near the center of the spool or cop. These arms ff2 are oli'set from one another, as will appear in Fig. 2-that is to say, they are not in the same vertical plane in their initial posi-tion. In Fig. l l have shown the thread a as passing ofi' the spool or cop Vthrough the eye 2 of the arm f and up through the eye 3 of the arm f2, the drawing ofl' of the thread in the tension applied thereto acting to bring the arms f f 2 into approximate coincidence or into approximately the same vertical plane. From Fig. 3 it will be noticed that the arms ff2 as prolongations of the respective ends of the helix are not in parallel horizontal planes. I prefer to so make the structure, because when the helix is placed upon the axial member d and a slight pressure is brought to bear by the disk and hub e when secured in position on the axial member the flat opposite surfaces of the disks c and e bring these tWo arms f and f 2 into ar substantially parallel relation,

Lapplying thereto a tension, causing them t0 bear with appreciable force upon the opposite fiat surfaces of the said disks c and e. A friction is thus produced as between said arms and disk-surfaces, Which With the drawing-off act of the thread and the consequent rotation of the wire helix and its arms effects a tension on the thread because of the gentle and regulatable friction of the arms of the helix upon the disk-surfaces. The thread is thus prevented from unwinding too freely or more freely than as required for use in sewing. This friction may be regulated-that is, it may be increased or lessened--by the pressure brought to bear by the disk e as positioned upon the axial member cl. The pressure, however, should in no case be sufiicient to prevent the substantially free rotation of the helix and its arms.

I claim as my inventiong l. A thread-brake, comprising a wire helix, arms formed as continuations of the free ends thereof, and eye ends to said arms, an axial support member about which said helix is revoluble, and means for applying a gentle regulatable friction to said helix and its arms.

2. A thread-brake, comprising a Wire helix, arms formed as continuations of the free ends thereofl and eye ends or terminations to said arms, one of said arms having portions bent at right angles to one another so as to reach toward the center of the spool or cop, the other 0f said arms being a straight prolongation, an axial member about Which said helix is revoluble, and means for applying a gentle regulatable friction to said helix and its arms.

3. A thread-brake comprising a Wire helix, arms formed as continuations of the free ends thereof and eye ends to said arms the said arms being offset or out of the same vertical plane with reference to one another, an axial member about which said helix is revoluble, and means for applying a gentleregulatable friction to said helix and its arms.

4. A thread-brake comprising a Wire helix, arms formed as continuations of the free ends thereof, and eye ends to said arms, an axial support member about which said helix is revoluble, and a common means for holding the said helix and its arms to the axial member and for applying a gentle regulatable friction to said helix and its arms.

5. A thread-brake, comprising a Wire helix, arms formed as continuations of the free ends thereof and eye ends to said arms, the said arms being offset or out of the same vertical plane with reference to one another, an axial member about which said helix is revoluble, and a common means for holding the said helix and its arms to the axial member and for applying a gentle regulatable friction to said helix and its arms.

6. A thread-brake, comprising a wire helix,

arms formed as continuations of the free ends thereof and eye ends to said arms, the said prolongations or arms in an initial position diverging from horizontal parallel planes, an axial member about which the said helix is revoluble, and means for applying a gentle regulatable friction to said helix 'and its arms.

7. A thread-brake, comprising a Wire helix, arms formed as continuations of the free ends thereof and eye ends to said arms, the said prolongations or arms in an initial position diverging from horizontal parallel planes, an axial member about which said helix is revoluble, a means for holding the helix and its arms upon the axial member and a means for applying a gentle regulatable friction to said helix and its arms.

8. A thread-brake, comprising a wire helix, arms formed as continuations of the free ends thereof and eye ends to said arms, the said arms being offset, and in an initial positiony diverging from horizontal parallel planes, an axial member about which said helix is revoluble, a means for holding the helix and its arms upon the axial member and a means for applying a gentle regulatable friction to said i cop, an axial member formed as a part of said disk and hub, a disk and hub apertured to pass over the said axial member, and means for securing the position of said disk and hub upon the axial member, a Wire helix adapted to pass freely over the axial member and to be revolved thereon, arms formed as continuations of the free opposite ends of the helix and eye end terminations to said arms.

10. Athread-brake, comprisinga disk,ahub adapted to pass into the opening in a spool or cop, an axial member formed as a part of said disk and hub, a disk and hub apertured to pass over the said axial member, means for securing the position of said disk and hub upon the axial member, a Wire helix adapted to pass freely over the axial member and to be revoluble thereon, arms formed as continnations of the free opposite ends of the helix and eye end terminations to said arms, the said arms in an initial condition diverging 0r being out of parallel horizontal planes with reference to one another, and consequently bearing upon the opposite flat faces of the aforesaid disks, substantially as set forth.

11. Athread-brake, comprisingadislna hub adapted to pass into the opening in a spool or cop, an axial member formed as a part of said disk and hub, a disk and hub apertured to pass over the said axial member, and means for securing the position of said disk and hub upon the axial member, a Wire helix adapted to pass IIO freely over the axial member and to berevoluble thereon, arms formed as continuations of the free opposite ends of the helix, eye end terminations to said arms, the said arms in an initial condition diverging or being out of 'parallel horizontal planes With reference to one another and consequently bearing upon the opposite at faces of the aforesaid disks, 

